


Will you ever let me love you?

by welcometothenewhigh



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, F/M, Friendship/Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2015-10-07
Packaged: 2018-04-25 09:11:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4954654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/welcometothenewhigh/pseuds/welcometothenewhigh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soulmate AU, because we all love those. Lexa lives an easy life, simply awaiting the arrival of her true love. Clarke moves from a little country called Wales and is terrified of that love. </p>
<p>Will Clarke ever let Lexa in? Lexa hopes so.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Come to life

**Author's Note:**

> I will not break your hearts.

Lexa’s life was going perfectly fine until tonight. She was one of the popular girls, she had the best friends anyone could ask for including an even nicer boyfriend. Her family was rather well off and she attended a great university. Her one problem? After 20 years, she had not yet met her true love. The small little compass etched in her skin had never functioned or glowed. Everyone knew once you were near (near being about a 100 mile radius—which is an absurdly small distance she always thought) the person your soul matches with; it spins to life directing you to them. Lexa’s though? Grey and lifeless, until tonight.

She’s at a frat party, about five shots deep and looking at the clock shows it’s been a total of three minutes since she last looked. 10:33 p.m. She was sat between her best friend Anya and her other best friend and boyfriend, Lincoln. Right now Anya is reminiscing about how the three of them met.   
It was when Lexa had just moved back to Polis, California because her mother had accepted a job back in their home town. Lexa was thrilled. She joined Polis Middle School (p.m.s—great right? Everybody tried creating a petition to change the name, but to no avail.) It was sixth grade and Lexa had social studies first period. As soon as she walked through the door to Mr. Kane’s classroom, she was sniggered at by Octavia Blake. A skinny little brunette who smirked instead of smiled and she called Lexa out on her favorite, dingy white converse. Lexa of course simply walked up to the girl, promptly head bashing her and sent her flying from the room with blood spewing. When she got to the principal’s office she met Anya, a class skipper and Lincoln, a defender of kid’s rights. From that day the on the three of them became the best of friends, no matter how different their rebellions were. 

As she sits enjoying her night, at a party she’d already been to 10x this year, she zones out. Her mind gets foggy and she finds herself unable to hear the words falling from Anya’s mouth. A sudden onset burning sensation brings her attention to her wrist. She watches the skin pucker and twitch under the surface of her compass. The pain was excruciating and left as soon as it’d come. Slowly she hears Anya’s voice again, louder this time and her own labored breathing. Lincoln was holding her by her shoulders with wide eyes, “Lexa? Lex!” She hears, before a wave of exhaustion runs through her. Right before her eyes closed, she saw a glowing rich blue color seeping from her compass which spun wildly. 

The morning eventually came and Lexa awakes in her own bed, no recollection on how she got there. She felt freer somehow though, even smiling as the sun warmed her tan skin. Then she remembered her compass! Could it have been a dream? She sat up quickly and looked to her wrist in haste and worry. Sure enough the needle was spinning, gently now, a bright blue aura glowing on her skin. Lexa stared at her compass smiling hugely for a good minute. She soon realized she felt wholly chaste and pure, even smelling a delicate aroma of rose petals and lavender, with a cinnamon after wave. She’d never smelled something so genuinely wonderful or felt so light. 

Just as she slowly came to, the scent dissipated as well the airy feeling of… something she can’t describe. Something she’d never felt, but knew now once and for all she wanted to feel again. Lexa wasn’t dumb, she knew this had to do with her soul mate. Last night whomever she was fated to love had finally arrived. This single thought was enough fuel to get her through her day.   
Lexa arrived on Ark Campus, seeing an eagerly awaiting Anya and Lincoln by the statue. Anya called out to her when she got closer.  
“Hey party animal! You find your lover yet?” Anya mocked. She knew Lexa had been wanting nothing but that since they’d met. Even if she was a well-known bad ass on the outside, Lexa Woods was a hopeless romantic at heart.   
“Knock it off An,” Lexa blushed. “All we know is they’re somewhere within 100 miles of me. It could be anyone.” She admitted sullenly. Lincoln then sat by her, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.   
“Until then you’ll always have me, Lex.” He looked at her adoringly. Lincoln had met his soul mate in middle school, shortly after the three became friends. She was another new girl named Costia and when she met Lincoln, it was like their hearts became connected in one touch. In freshman year of high school Costia was hit by a drunk driver and killed instantly. Lincoln felt it from miles away, his compass shattering in his skin painfully and leaving black remnants to always remind him. 

The thing about soul mates, that connection is stronger than anything in the world. Physically and emotionally those two souls are made for each other. If a soul match never meets, they each feel burdened and heavier with every new day. When a soul match is rejected by one, (done so by saying ‘I renounce this soulship’) the other absorbs all the feelings and is left to wallow in the depths. The worst is when one soul mate dies, the grief and emptiness threaten to consume the other. It’s a tricky thing, soul mates. Lexa could only hope whoever her match was could love her and she them.  
She nodded thankfully to Lincoln. Seeing the pain in his eyes always made her feel heavy, but with this new hope she couldn’t help but want to be happy. “Alright lover girl, it’s my mission to find your match. God knows if my compass never works I won’t mind, you two give me enough to dread.” She joked, earning a smile from each of her friends. Lexa pulled her friends into a hug, thanking them, then decided they should probably get to class. Time for AP physics. (Oh joy.)

As the day was ending, the sun setting in the sky with every shade of orange, pink and yellow, Lexa watched from her rooftop. She would deny it, but she was praying to anyone who’d listen that she find her love soon. Little did she know, that lover was on their own rooftop, wishing for the opposite.


	2. Could it be

When Clarke agreed to move to Polis City, CA, she didn’t expect her compass to come to life when she got there. She’d always been so grateful it never worked. Clarke never wanted to love someone so thoroughly as a soulship required, or enabled really. She did not want to open her heart up to so much vulnerability. Every time she thought about love, her heart ached and screamed in protest. She had witnessed first-hand how deep that love could be, her mother and father loved each other with their entire beings. 

They were the definition of true love Clarke thought, wanting nothing more than to love like that when she was a little girl. Then her dad, Jake, passed away suddenly when she was ten. She watched her mother’s world crumble and if she thought she knew pain then, Abby gave her a real glimpse into what pain meant. Her mother’s heart burst into a billion smithereens, sending pieces of herself into the void. She never truly healed and stopped speaking to most everyone when Jake was gone. Clarke never, ever wanting to feel so broken; never gave anyone a chance to do so. Every night of her life she prayed to never meet her match, because she knew her fear of being hurt would trump that impending heavy burden. Tonight was no different. Clarke sits on her rooftop with her feet in the air, eyes in the yolk colored sky and heart locked away as she begs once again to never fall in love. Somewhere out there her soul mate was looking and she hopes for a miracle that they never find her.

The next morning Clarke rises slowly from her slumber, taking in all the comfort of her memory foam bed and watching her alarm clock until it sounded. Routine. She always woke up before it, ready to hit the switch. Then hopped into the shower, singing her troubles away as she washes off the nightmares. Breakfast comes after, usually an egg sandwich of some kind, followed by lots of water and a 3 mile treadmill run. Maybe one day she’ll go run outside now that she’s in California. Doing the same routine however, for so many years (12 to be exact. She started running when her dad left this world and never stopped) kept her sane. This new city and the proximity of her soul mate would not deter her.

Taking a look at the clock, Clarke had left herself a little under an hour to get to her new job at Ark University as the new Campus Director. Back in Wales, Clarke had worked in her tiny school from high school to college. She worked every job she could and had all kinds of education under different curriculums. Eventually she managed to graduate with a degree in business and medicine, medicine being her mother’s choice. Only being 22, that was quite impressive and she managed to leave an even better impression on her mother’s close friend, Thelonious Jaha who just happened to be a Super Intendant for an American Ivy League university. When Abby told her she had to go to America for a special heart operation on a young girl, Clarke seized her chance to leave dreary old Wales and Jaha was thrilled to have her.

Arriving in her little office she had already passed handfuls of students whom she had gotten directions from. Many who also stopped her to inquire about her accent. She had been there for just about twenty minutes and already had three senior boys’ numbers and been invited into a sorority by a bunch of giggling girls in pink. It came to no surprise honestly, she was about their age and not at all unattractive. Clarke smirked to herself as she sat.

She took a look at her workload, taken aback with the amount of forms and documents already accumulated. Apparently a lot of kids had complaints about their situations. One particular form caught her eye, John Murphy and Bellamy Blake, dorm Beta. The two couldn’t have been more different on paper. Murphy is the one who appealed for a roommate transfer, yet he was the one with a low attendance rate, a lower GPA and had been reprimanded already for smoking on school grounds. Clarke laughed to herself as she rejected the request, if goody-two-shoes Blake could deal with it, so could Murphy. 

For the next few hours Clarke finds herself approving and denying about the same amount when she realizes it was lunch time. Clarke found herself roaming the campus once again, this time looking for the mess hall. The campus was smaller than she first thought, she’d passed the Jaha Founder’s Statue twice now on her hunt. (You’d think it’d be easier but nope.) Finally Clarke overheard a trio of students talking about getting food and to her luck they didn’t mean off campus. She trailed behind the group as they entered the hall, pizza and Mexican and all kinds of aromas wafting past.

Clarke entered the line for deli sandwiches, setting her sights on a turkey and bacon tomato wrap. While she waited she found herself being drawn to look back to the group of kids who led her here. Without much thought she began observing the trio, who all were eating some pizza and talking contently to each other. Mostly her attention was on the tall, lithe brunette with braids in her hair and a swirling black tattoo on her shoulder. Clarke saw she was on the lap of an even taller, muscular guy with the sides of his head bald and a shaved Mohawk on top. An attractive couple she thought.

A clearing of the throat tried getting her attention, but before she could look and place her order—the brunette looked up and right at her then. It was eerily quiet suddenly for Clarke as they stared at each other with curious gazes. Clarke began smelling a faint cloud of lemon and berry, with a petrichor breeze. Mere seconds passed but it felt longer, much longer before she heard another throat clearing. Clarke broke the gaze and turned to the lunch lady sheepishly, pointing to her wrap. Slowly walking out of the hall, she still felt those eyes lingering. She paid no attention to the incessant spinning of her compass.


	3. So that's a no

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keep trying Lexa, don't give up yet!

Anya was telling some story about a hot mechanic she’d met recently—Rhiannon? Rachel? Some R name and she’d begun going into detail about how good she must be with her hands when Lexa smelled cinnamon and lavender again. Without prompt Lexa looked up and straight ahead. Across the hall of 150 bodies or so, she met eyes with a blonde who was already looking at her. 

Voices drowned out as she held eye contact with this woman. Lexa tried to see more of her, but the distance was real. All she made out was an average height, curvy-slim figure in a black pencil skirt, a fitting grey cardigan with a pale blue blouse all topped by wavy yellow locks pulled into a loose bun and glasses perched on her nose. Sexy, Lexa thought. Still she heard nothing and saw only her when the woman broke the gaze, looking to the lady in front of her. The blonde reached for her food and Lexa had never been so jealous of a lunch lady before. She did not look back as she left the hall, but Lexa stared anyway.

“Hey, earth to Lexa.” Anya prodded for her attention. How long had it been? Two minutes—two hours? Lexa felt as if time had stopped and now she was back, Anya staring at her incredulously for ignoring her hot mechanic story. Lincoln eyed her worriedly too.  
“Umm nothing guys. I’ll be right back.” Lexa stood quickly, heading out the door after the blonde. Anya and Lincoln left confused, watching her leave. She made it out the door in record time and immediately began scanning for around for the woman who stopped her world from spinning. All she saw were small herds of students, too many colors and too many distractions. She huffed.

Unconsciously Lexa glanced to her compass, seeing it pointing right and she decided to follow it. After a few minutes of wandering after a spinning needle, it finally stopped and pointed straight ahead. Lexa looked up and found herself outside the campus directory office. She stalled in front and took a deep breath, somehow knowing this is where she needed to be. As she pulled open the big door, she saw the blonde looking down. Her heart pumped faster as she approached.

 

***  
Clarke is busy reading through some more forms when she hears the door open, dinging obnoxiously. She sighs immediately, she’s really going to have to take that bell down.  
“Hi there. What office is this?” She hears a little voice ask. Clarke almost laughs because right on the door they walked through it says ‘Campus Directory’ as does a plaque on her desk. She clears her throat before answering.  
“This is the Campus Directory Office and I am the director. Can I help you with something?” She asks in a formal voice, taking in the girl in front of her. It was the girl from the mess hall. Up close Clarke could really get a chance to admire how gorgeous she is. Bright, vivid green eyes and a stunning sharp jawline. The girl was staring at her in return.   
“Oh right. Sure. What exactly would I do here?” The girl laughed softly at herself. Clarke did laugh this time. The girl had walked in confidently enough, but now she seemed flustered.  
“Well, I can help you change dorms, maybe switch roommates. I could take any suggestions or complaints you have too.” She waited for an answer, but the girl just stared again. “Miss?” Clarke began again, startling the girl back into reality as she shook her head.  
“Where are you from?” The brunette asked abruptly. Clarke giggled, earning a grin from the girl. “I just ask because you’re beautiful. Oh—I mean your voice. No—I mean—your accent! It’s nice.” She finished, turning red quickly and looking to her feet. Clarke decided to toy with the girl momentarily.  
“Cheeky aye?” She smirked. “I’m from Wales. Where are you from?” Clarke asked coyly and waited for the girl to look up. She did so after a few seconds, still red.  
“I’m from right here. Uh—Polis, well California. I was born in California and I moved back to Polis. Yeah—I’m from here.” She ended finally, her little rambling making her an even darker shade of red. Clarke smirked at her.  
“Right. A California girl. I could have guessed that from your permanent tan.” She answered, hoping the brunette would relax at her joke. She simply nodded.  
“Yes. Right.” She watched Clarke intently, like she was waiting for her.  
“Soo... there’s nothing I can do to help you then, Miss?” Clarke felt very weird with this girl in front of her. Her heart was beating fast, her mind was spinning and her stomach churned every time they made eye contact. Then there’s that lemon-berry smell again, lingering in the air.  
“Lexa. Lexa Woods. I guess there isn’t. I’m pretty okay with my roommate.” She stated flatly. Clarke nodded at the girl but she continued. “Well, maybe there is one thing. Would you like to get coffee with me sometime Miss… um I’m sorry what is your name?” She asked hopefully, biting her lip.   
There it was, Clarke knew this girl was trying to ask her something. Now to let her down gently, she thought.  
“You can call me Miss Griffin and that’s awfully nice of you but no thank you. Now, if you ever do have a problem with your roommate or need any help, you know where to find me Lexa Woods.” Clarke finished in her best professional voice. The girl simply stood there with her jaw dropped ever so in disbelief. Then she nodded curtly and began out the door, not looking back.   
As she left so did the sweet smell and Clarke took a deep breath she hadn’t known she needed. She ignored her compass that ticked wildly, glowing pale green under her sleeve. Absolutely not happening, she thought. Clarke busied herself in work for the next few hours, trying to forget the way the girl smiled at her and rambled nervously. She tried extra hard to forget how much she wanted to see her again.


End file.
